Average customer rating:
- A compressed nod to Faulkner?
- You'll fall in love with the ways of The Beedes!
- Finding a family forturne
- Getting Mother's Body
- Some authors should not read their own work.
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Getting Mother's Body: A Novel
Suzan-Lori Parks
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1400060222
Release Date: 2003-05-06 |
Amazon.com
Like a country quilt, Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks's spellbinding first novel, Getting Mother's Body, is pieced together from rags: short and slanted scraps of narrative recounted by various friends and members of the hard-luck Beede clan of Ector County, Texas. These sad, wily, bickering voices tell the story of Billy Beede--poor, unmarried, and pregnant--and her dead mother, the "hot and wild" blues singer, Willa Mae Beede, who may or may not have been laid to rest with a fortune of diamonds and pearls in her coffin. When a letter arrives announcing that a supermarket is being built on the ground where Willa Mae was buried, Billy determines to dig her up and get the jewels. But Willa Mae's embittered female lover, Dill Smiles, is just as intent on keeping the corpse in the ground. Deeper and richer than a typical quest novel, Getting Mother's Body is also the story of an African-American family, of beauty winding like bright thread through long-held grudges, hopelessness, and greed. --Regina Marler
Book Description
Billy Beede, the teenage daughter of the fast-running, no-account, and six-years-dead Willa Mae, comes home one day to find a fateful letter waiting for her: Willa Mae’s burial spot in LaJunta, Arizona, is about to be plowed up to make way for a supermarket.
As Willa Mae’s only daughter, Billy is heiress to her mother’s substantial but unconfirmed fortune—a cache of jewels that Willa Mae’s lover, Dill Smiles, is said to have buried with her. Dirt poor, living in a trailer with her Aunt June and Uncle Roosevelt behind a gas station in a tumbleweedy Texas town, and pregnant with an illegitimate child, Billy knows that treasure could mean salvation. So she steals Dill’s pickup truck and, with her aunt and uncle in tow, heads for Arizona with Dill in hot pursuit. While everyone agrees it’s only polite to speak of getting mother’s body and moving her to a proper resting place, it’s well understood that digging up Willa Mae’s diamonds and pearls will make the whole trip a lot more worthwhile.
The enormously accomplished fiction debut from Suzan-Lori Parks, the 2002 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama,
Getting
Mother’s
Body takes its place in the company of the classic works of Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker. But when it comes to an ingenious, uproarious knack for depicting the trifling, hard-luck, down-and-out souls who need a little singing and laughing and lying and praying to get through the day, Suzan-Lori Parks shares the stage with no one.
Download Description
Billy Beede, the teenage daughter of the fast-running, no-account, and six-years-dead Willa Mae, comes home one day to find a fateful letter waiting for her: Willa Mae's burial spot in LaJunta, Arizona, is about to be plowed up to make way for a supermarket.
As Willa Mae's only daughter, Billy is heiress to her mother's substantial but unconfirmed fortune -- a cache of jewels that Willa Mae's lover, Dill Smiles, is said to have buried with her. Dirt poor, living in a trailer with her Aunt June and Uncle Roosevelt behind a gas station in a tumbleweedy Texas town, and pregnant with an illegitimate child, Billy knows that treasure could mean salvation. So she steals Dill's pickup truck and, with her aunt and uncle in tow, heads for Arizona with Dill in hot pursuit. While everyone agrees it's only polite to speak of getting mother's body and moving her to a proper resting place, it's well understood that digging up Willa Mae's diamonds and pearls will make the whole trip a lot more worthwhile.
The enormously accomplished fiction debut from Suzan-Lori Parks, the 2002 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Getting Mother's Body takes its place in the company of the classic works of Zora Neale Hurston and Alice Walker. But when it comes to an ingenious, uproarious knack for depicting the trifling, hard-luck, down-and-out souls who need a little singing and laughing and lying and praying to get through the day, Suzan-Lori Parks shares the stage with no one.
"Suzan-Lori Parks is a terrific writer whose characters don't so much talk to us as sing, full-throated, of their joys and miseries."
RICHARD RUSSO, AUTHOR OF EMPIRE FALLS
"With a playwright's ear, a novelist's eye, and a passionate appreciation for the complex magic of everyday women, Suzan-Lori Parks spins a story whose characters are as mysterious and sexy as lace curtains billowing at the bedroom window."
PEARL CLEAGE, AUTHOR OF WHAT LOOKS LIKE CRAZY ON AN ORDINARY DAY
Customer Reviews:
A compressed nod to Faulkner?.......2007-03-25
Suzan-Lori Parks, better known as a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, came out with her first novel, Getting Mother's Body, a few years ago. In a Seattle Post-Intelligencer interview of May 26, 2003, she called the work "a deep and reverent bow to William Faulkner's 'As I Lay Dying,' which also has characters on a journey dealing with a dead relative."
It may be, but don't expect the complex southern saunter of language. Ms. Parks spares the page unneeded words with a beautiful economy, possibly the result of being accustomed to showing stories on stage through dialog and action. In this case, the use of shifting narrative points of view drives the action and yet circles back on it, like advancing the plot and character development through a spiral instead of a straight line. You keep coming back to previous point, stripping back layer after layer and showing the complexity not only of character, but of life. Other than saying that this journey is a quest for something valuable that may or may not be sequestered in a given place, I won't go much into the plot. What is important is not the arrival at the destination or even the destination itself, but the process of traveling. Perhaps that's what made it resound for me. Our final destination is, after all, physical death, so we have is the traveling. I also liked the use of dialect as a leveling factor. No matter how high and mighty some people might be in the social era of the time, the expression of thought and feeling was generally the same, showing more of a kinship than perhaps many of the people would have wanted to admit.
You'll fall in love with the ways of The Beedes!.......2007-02-05
Bravo and Kudo's to Ms.Parks! This story will have all your emotions working, you'll laugh,cry and get mad at some of the character's! Most of all you'll get sucked into this wonderful story. This is one of those reads where you won't stop reading until you reach the end. I reccomend this great read to all!
Finding a family forturne.......2006-12-18
This is an exceptionally uplifting and enjoyable novel by Pulitzer Prize-winning dramatist, Suzan-Lori Parks. The main character, Billy Beade, is a sixteen year-old who is pregnant and struggling to find her way in a small town in eastern Texas in 1963. Billy never knew her father; her blues-singing, hard-living mother died six years earlier. Billy is living with her Uncle Roosevelt, a down-on-his-luck preacher who has lost both his church and his faith, and his disabled wife, June. Billy's late mother's girlfriend, Dill Smiles, steps in when needed as a quasi father figure.
Her baby's father, Snipes, hands Billy $63 with which to buy a wedding dress, and instructs Billy to meet him in his hometown on the following Friday so they can get married. Unbeknownst to Billy, Snipes is already married with 6 children and a seventh on the way, not counting Billy's unborn child. By the time Billy learns the truth about Snipes, she has already spent every last cent she has on wedding preparations. Wanting to remove Snipes out of her life completely, Billy quickly raises a few dollars and goes to see a doctor who she believes can help her. The sympathetic doctor quotes a reduced fee but makes it clear to Billy that she has to get back to him quickly -- a week or so longer, and her pregnancy will be too far along to do anything about.
Billy returns home, announces that she's not getting married after all and that she needs money for the doctor's fee. No one has a cent to spare. Billy has heard rumors that her mother took some very valuable jewelry to the grave with her. Billy's mother is buried in Arizona. Billy is determined to somehow get all the way across Texas and New Mexico, dig up her mother and get the fortune she should have inherited long ago.
What follows is the hilarious story of how one determined, frightened and angry teenager takes charge of her life, enlists the help of everyone and his brother and endears herself to all along the way. The story is told from the perspectives of many characters. We even get to hear from Billy's dead mother. The ending, where Billy discovers the real meaning of family fortune, is a truly happy one.
Getting Mother's Body.......2005-11-26
Getting Mother's Body tells the story of Billy Beade and her family and friends on a road trip to dig up the treasure buried with Billy's mother Willa Mae. Each is equally desperate for the money from the treasure, but all for different reasons. The story was exciting, hardly ever predictable, and intelligent.
Lately, I've been tired of picking up novels that seemed interesting, only to find wooden characters, well-worn plot devices, and cliched dialogue. Not here. Ms. Parks has created a stunning cast of characters, each beautifully developed to the perfect degree to fit the plot, no more, no less. The story is written from Mulitple view points, each providing a small glimpse at the larger picture of the story. For this novel, however, the whole is greater than the some of it's parts - each point of view provides enough of the plot that the reader can synthesize them into a whole. This is a novel for a reader who doesn't want everything handed to them on the page, who enjoys synthesizing information to come to thier own conclusions. I have recommended this novel to many friends and family with much success. highly recommended.
Some authors should not read their own work. .......2005-11-01
There are very few authors who can both write and give a good performance on the audio of their books. Ms. Parks is not one of them. She may be a gifted playwrite and novelist, but she's not a narrator. You'd think someone who works in theater would understand the concept of voice talent, and make her publisher hire some to read her book for the audio version. Alas, Ms. Parks undertook the job herself, and the effect leaves a lot to be desired. For example, if you're going to have your characters speak in a regional patois, you can't then read it as though it's beneath you to speak that way, hesitating just slightly before each mispronunciation or grammatical error as though to disassociate yourself and make it clear that you don't speak that way. I've heard electronically read books with more feeling. Stick with the printed page for this one.
Book Description
From its Introduction by the revered and distinguished John Hope Franklin to the bibliography and extensive index that complete it, Legacy represents a major new contribution to African-American history. The Black experience and its impact on our nation's culture and character come alive in twelve chapters that sweep from ancient Africa and the slave trade to such key eras as the Civil War, Emancipation, and Reconstruction; the Harlem Renaissance and the Jim Crow Era; and the modern Civil Rights and Black Power/Black Arts movements.
The more than 150 historic items showcased here include documents, letters, images, and artifacts, many never before published. Readers will find 18th-century maps of Africa; the pincushion of Elizabeth Keckley, Mrs. Lincoln's seamstress; Depression-era images by Robert M. McNeil; and a Langston Hughes letter in which he first shares his famous poem I, Too, Sing America. Rare photographs show a unique daguerreotype of Frederick Douglass in profile and the Fisk Jubilee Singers, circa 1880. Objects include a bell of Sally Hemmings, Thomas Jefferson's slave and companion, and NAACP membership buttons from the 1960s. More than two dozen prominent Black scholars and activists offer expert insights on the collection, on subjects ranging from traditional African societies to 21st-century art and politics, making this book as definitive as it is beautiful—a priceless resource that will inform and fascinate serious students and casual readers alike.
Customer Reviews:
Treasure or Antiques from The Past........2006-11-29
This book shows the positive aspects of black history. The documentary previously reviewed shows clearly what will happen to the black youth with the martial training in so-called church camps. Why have positive things as treasures when the children, who should be their treasures, are being led astray right into perdition. Why do you have NTA (No Title Available) on my site and still the review is listed here in the book site? You constantly use that NTA on my movie reviews, which really irritate me and one other book which I deleted myself. This is prejudice!
Seven years ago, I was in a small town and my apartment was adjacent to a public laundromat owned by the young couple I rented from; every week, a Marine-type tall man brought his group of pre-teens (boys and girls) to march in a military style in the parking lot while he berated and yelled to keep them in line. I was tempted to call the police, as I felt he was using some type of abuse on the children, none of which were white, but small town police allow things to go unexplored. If it happened there in that town, then it is happening all over the country. This is one way to abuse their own to turn them into roughnecks.
In the movie which I reviewed and they won't allow a title: All religions are divisive, but this documentary shows clearly that our world is indeed in big trouble with the divisiveness and the multiplicity of non-denominational churches which don't serve God but the singles, those with money, and transients. There is no foundation to build on in these radical churches, and this documentary is distressing as it shows the shallowness and possibly unlawful actions these young people will follow. It is good that someone was brave enough to film this and release it nationally. If more Christians would see it with an open mind, we could make a difference in the lives of such deluded youth.
Customer Reviews:
Tut in a Nutshell.......2007-07-07
Though no book is truely a complete examination of the tomb and its contents, Reeves has done an excellent job. Though hardly an exhaustive study, this volume is filled with color and black & white photos Tutankhamun's Tomb: The Thrill of Discovery: Photographs by Harry Burton (Metropolitan Museum of Art Publications), line drawings, lists and tables of every room in the tomb. Wine, clothes, boxes, jewelry, statues, seal impressions, ritual devices, etc., are well documented with Howard Carter's original numbers.
How the tomb was found, its archaeology, Tut's family line, newspaper articles at the time of discovery, letters and diagrams put this volume near the top of every Egyptophile's "must have" list.
Take a look at the giant sized "Tutankhamun" by T.G.H. James Tutankhamunfor another incredible detailed photographic account of the treasures from the tomb.
Great introduction.............2007-06-08
The Complete Tutankhamun by Nicholas Reeves proves to be a great introductory book on the discoveries made by Howard Carter in 1922. The book covers the history surrounding Tutankhamun during his time and the reasoning why his tomb was overlooked. But the book centered around Howard Carter whose tireless efforts finally paid off and his parton, Lord Carnarvon who financed and supported Carter. There are sections for each part of the tomb and what treasures were found there. There is a lot of information in this book on the content of the treasures that have gained so much attention since it revealation. The coverage of the book is pretty complete although as one previous reviewer wrote that there isn't much in terms of analysis or insight in this book But I thought that part may be left to other books since this book is your basic but very complete coverage of the discoveries of Tomb of Tutankhamun.
The book proves to be well written and easy to read for any one who may be interested in this subject. The author obviously have great command of the subject matter and wrote in a matter that is easy to understand. There are enough photos and illustrations in this book to dazzled most readers although I wished there were more color photos. The book was published in 1990 so it doesn't includes some of the new insights into the real Tutankhamun or his treasures that came out in the past 17 years. But within the context of this book, maybe that may not be so important.
But overall, this is an highly informative book that should interest anyone who have any interest in this subject or history of ancient Egypt.
Thorough but narrow in scope.......2007-02-11
While this book provided an impressively thorough list of all the artifacts found in King Tutankhamun's tomb, it was sorely lacking in analysis and commentary. There was a brief chapter toward the beginning that dealt with the history of the boy king, followed by approximately two hundred pages detailing every little artifact found in the tomb. While this was interesting at times, it quickly began to feel like a list rather than a commentary.
This book is a perfect for the reader who is exploring the tomb to a great deal of depth. That is, if a reader has read several other books on the life of the king and is thoroughly familiar with Egyptian art and culture, then this book could provide an excellent means through which he or she could become more acquainted with the particulars.
This book is not, however, for people who want a "one-stop" book to read and come away with a brief understanding of the key points of the reign of the king, Egyptian society, and the artifacts of the tomb.
The Splendors Of The Boy Pharaoh.......2004-11-26
Since the sensational discovery of the Boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun's almost intact tomb in the Valley of the Kings in 1922 there has been a regular stream of books dealing with the tomb, its discovery, and the rich bounty of treasures found in the burial. The books vary greatly in quality but I have to say that Nicholas Reeves' 1990 work on the subject "The Complete Tutankhamun: The King, the Tomb, the Royal Treasure", is without a doubt one of the very best on the subject and is full of informative information and historical background, and beautifully presented colour and black and white photographs on the subject all displayed in an easy to read format that has a logical flow to it. Indeed "The Complete Tutankhamun", is a small jewel box in itself and is essential reading for all budding Egyptologists or people interested in the customs and religious beliefs of ancient civilisations such as Egypt.
Beginning with a highly appropriate forward written by the present Seventh Earl of Carnarvon the format of the book is very well thought out and takes the reader firstly through the time that Tutankhamun lived in which of course was the controversial Amarna period created by the "Heretic Pharaoh", Akhenaten. This section provides much needed information on Tutankhamun's life much of which is still largely unknown to us. It deals with the Pharaoh's childhood and his eventual succession to the throne of Egypt as a 8 year old God and most interestingly looks at other monuments that Tutankhamun was responsible for creating during his short 9 year reign, most of which were usurped by later rulers. Later sections explore in detail the search for the tomb of the mysterious boy Pharaoh and its eventual discovery and excavation by Howard Carter. The tomb itself , small and largely undecorated compared to other Pharaoh's tombs is examined in an often interesting manner using three dimensional drawings to show its layout and side views. Finally the burial and the tomb's magnificent treasures encompassing golden shrines, jewellery, solid gold coffins, exotic animal figurines, and clothing are examined in detail. This section of the book is in particular a treat as the stunning colour photography really shows each piece described to its best advantage.
When one thinks of Tutankhamun's tomb one always thinks of gold and jewels however one of the great strengths of "The Complete Tutankhamun", is that good coverage is given to the myriad of personal and domestic objects that accompanied a Pharaoh on his journey to his new life. Interesting examinations of food stuffs, clothing, board games, and even touching family heirlooms like a boyhood bow and arrow belonging to Tutankhamun's childhood and a lock of Tutankhamun's Grandmother Queen Tiye's hair are examined and it is these less spectacular items that go a long way towards showing the reader more about just who Tutankhamun was as both boy and Pharaoh. Each section of the book is accompanied by a huge selection of photographs that are both from the time of the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankhamun and more recent ones photographed at the Cairo Museum. Those photos that are contemporary with the discovery of the tomb are of great interest and reveal the painstaking work involved in the clearing and cataloguing of even a small tomb such as Tutankhmaun's. Rarely has a book on this subject managed to incorporate photos of so many of the items from Tutankhamun's tomb which helps make "The Complete Tutankhamun", one of the definitive sources of information for the modern reader about a Pharaoh's burial and of Tutankhamun and Egypt near the end of the Eighteenth Dynasty.
"The Complete Tutankhamun", is one of my most cherished books on Ancient Egypt and I strongly recommend it to history and art lovers as one of the best sources of information on the Egypt of the glorious Eighteenth Dynasty. Egpyt of the time of the Pharaohs always seems to have a real attraction to even those people not greatly interested in history and this beautiful book is just the thing to satisfy anyone curious with this fascinating young ruler during Egypt's golden age. Make this gem part of your history library soon it is sure to become a treasured acquisition that you will find yourself returning to time and time again.
The tomb and its "treasures" are the real focus........2002-10-23
If you want a multitude of pictures and a fair discussion of the tomb's discovery and the objects found in it, then this is an excellent book. We used this in a grad/undergrad level seminar I took back at Columbia University because it is so detailed on the tomb and its discovery. However, when it comes to information about Tutankhanum himself there are only 20 pages that look at his life and the historical context of his life, most of that is spent on his family and the dynasty he is part of. 20 pages out of 200+?! This is why I'm giving this book only 4 stars -- the cover and the summary offered by the book itself suggests the book has three parts and this first one is barely there.
Book Description
"A richly illustrated, reasonably priced account of the burial sites of Egypt's greatest rulers."—Houston Chronicle
Here is the definitive account of the Valley of the Kings, visited by millions of tourists and famous throughout the world as the burial place of the great New Kingdom pharaohs. Some eighty tombs were dug in the valley at the height of Egyptian power more than 3,000 years ago, their chambers stocked with incredible treasures and decorated with magnificent wall paintings. It was here, in 1922, that Howard Carter stumbled upon the virtually intact tomb of the boy-king, Tutankhamun. Recently the valley has made international headlines with the discovery of the burial chapels of Ramesses the Great's many sons; The Complete Valley of the Kings is the first book to publish an account of these remarkable findings. Reeves and Wilkinson, both acknowledged authorities on the valley, bring together the art, archaeology and history in one exciting account.
Customer Reviews:
Hidden facts.......2005-11-20
Did you know that there are chambers in the bottom of many temples that are still 'uncharted"? Neither did I. This is a great book.
Review of Valley of the Kings.......2005-08-12
This is a truely comprehensive reference book of the Valley and like others in the Thames and Hudson series is a must for scholars of Ancient Egypt. Excellent!
excellent.......2004-02-11
Excellent book, if you are interest in ancient egypt, read this book, you'll learn a lot of interesting facts about the valley of the kings, the pharaohs, etc..
A True Complete Book on the Valley of the Kings.......2002-12-16
It is the best book on the Valley of the Kings. In it you can find not just information but a treasure, a treasure showing the magnificent treasures of ancient Egypt.
Almost completely perfect.......2002-02-28
The Complete Valley of the Kings is a very well-researched, well-written, well-illustrated, and well-organized book. Everything from the topographic and the geologic maps of the valley through the religious and archeological history of the valley were interesting (and sometimes depressing, considering what some of those early adventurers and so-called scholars did to the place). The information on the dismantling of the Valley at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st Dynasty was especially interesting. Of course, the stars of the book were the tombs themselves. The architecture, decoration and history of each tomb is given as fully as possible. My only reservation in regards to this book lies in the authors having made up their minds on the identity of the controversial mummy in KV55 and airily dismissing as unimportant any evidence that contradicts their theory. Such inflexible partiality calls for a cautious approach to any other "definite" conclusions the authors draw. Otherwise, the book is inarguably informative and entertaining, except for the fact that the authors consistently and annoyingly use the Greek forms of the pharaoh's names (such as the Greek Sethos instead of Seti). Other than that, the book really is almost completely perfect.
Customer Reviews:
good introduction.......2007-03-20
This product is a good introduction to ancient Egypt. It includes some papyrus, hyroglyphic stamps and ink pad, beads for a necklace, a booklet about Egypt, two games, and instructions and grid so that kids can make a painting just like ancient Egyptians made in pyramids. Some pieces are very small, so this is not for younger kids.
Great Gift.......2007-01-10
I gave this to my 10 year old nephew for Christmas and he absolutely loved it! He liked all the activities in it. The only negative is that the lock on the box sticks and is almost impossible to open even with the key.
Mixed Review.......2006-11-10
I ordered this kit during our study of ancient civilizations. What better place to begin than Egypt. I thought my boys (ages 6 & 7) would enjoy the games and making their own heiroglyphics. The package was very interesting looking and peaked their curiosity immediately. However, the beads to the necklace were next to impossible to string. The stamps were also very small and did not stay in the place when trying to make the heiroglyphic messages. The book and sample papyrus were great. In fact, my 6 year old took both to our homeschool co-op for show and tell. All in all, not bad, but a little pricey for what you get.
Obbsessed and Loving It!.......2005-02-28
First off, I love ancient Egypt! It's my life! I want to be an Egyptologist when I grow up!! I love it, love it, love it! I admit, I have never gottne this product, but from the reviews I've read, it sounds GREAT!!! I want myself, but being a kid, I'm broke....... But, you should deffitnitly get this if you love egypt! Even if you don't, it's a great way to start to love egypt! I love it and I don't even have it!! It sounds like so much fun! So go ahead, if you have money go out there and get it!!
Great for all ages.......2003-11-04
I bought this treasure chest as a "treat" (for my daughter or myself, I am still not sure) to finish off our study of ancient Egypt. We couldn't wait, so we opened it right away and were thrilled. I expected most of the activities to be too hard for my 6yo, but she has enjoyed them thoroughly. The lock can be a bit hard for small fingers to open, but the key is easy to work and that can be fun enough in itself. There are 2 board games, both of which she could play. One is very, very simple (think Chutes and Ladders) while the other requires more strategy. Depending on your child's interests/abilities in games you might find that you only play one of the two, but we have been happy playing both. The playing pieces are made rather flimsy light cardboard, but they are functional enough if your child is careful. The stamping set is about average, and suffers from all the little problems child's stamping kits are heir to, but overall produces legible hieroglyphs. You'll need an extra pair of hands or weights to hold the papyrus unrolled, but it looks great when you're finished. The hieroglyph "decoder" wheel has been great fun for my daughter who thinks codes are exciting. The necklace was a little disappointing, only because the string provided came apart when I tried to disentangle it. We replaced it with our own string/wire and made our lovely necklace just fine. The beads had holes large enough for my child to thread them herself, although a needle proved helpful. The posters (one of deities reverses to one of regents and another one with a map) are attractive and informative without being overwhelming and my daughter enjoyed placing the approppriate stickers on the spaces provided on the map. The only piece of this chest w ehave not used yet is the grid for reproducing an egyptian picture, but I'm sure many other children are more artistically inclined than mine and will find it fun. Overall, my daughter and I have enjoyed this kit immensely and highly recommend it.
Book Description
Egyptologist, essayist and novelist, Christian Jacq is one of the most widely read authors in the world. Here, he presents a new vision of one of the pillars of Egyptian wisdom and the key to an era of rich spirituality which has much to offer. Ptah-Hotep was a philosopher and leading statesman in the Egypt of 2400 BC. Having reached the great age of 110 he decided to pass on his experience by setting down a collection of sayings, or 'wisdoms.' Miraculously preserved, his work has a real claim to be the oldest book in the world and offers not only wisdom but an exceptional insight into the life and philosophy of the ancient world. As second in command to the fifth-dynasty pharaoh Djedkare Isesi, Ptah-Hotep's work is crucial to our understanding of the golden age of the Ancient Empire (around 2640—2040 BC). Through this book we can see into the mind of the sage and share his most intimate reflections. Styled as advice from father to son or master to pupil, his words offer counsel on timeless topics such as the art of governing, the nature of true knowledge, and how to enjoy a harmonious life without violence.
Book Description
Presented here are a wide variety of objects - sculpture, relief, papyri, ostraca, jewelry, cosmetic objects, and funerary items - in a variety of media, including stone, wood, terra cotta, ivory, gold, glass, and papyrus, each categorized according to its use in ancient culture. From objects belonging to the king and housed in the temple to the tools of daily life used by artists and nobles to ritual objects concerning death and the afterlife, the treasures collected here are a testament to the rich, vibrant, and captivating culture of the ancient Egyptians.
The British Museum possesses one of the world's foremost collections of Egyptian antiquities. In Temples and Tombs, readers are presented with a rare opportunity to glimpse the collection's renowned masterpieces and treasures little known outside the museum walls. The eighty-five objects featured within these pages span a full range of pharaonic history - from shortly before the First Dynasty, about 3100 B.C., to the Roman occupation of the fourth century A.D. - and cover each of the four periods into which ancient Egyptian history is divided: Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom, New Kingdom, and the Late Period.
This fully illustrated book accompanies a major traveling exhibition organized by the American Federation of Arts and the British Museum.
Book Description
“A true urban novel filled with vivid images of the street.”
–Black Issues Book Review
Treasure E. Blue, street lit’s hottest newcomer, crafts characters that fly off the page and a story that burns with intensity. Set in Harlem, this searing novel is a poignant and gritty portrait of urban survival of the ghetto’s fittest . . . and most fierce.
Silver Jones knows just how cruel life can be. Her mother was chewed up and spit out by its dark side–brutally murdered while turning a trick. Rather than live with her abusive grandmother, Silver runs away.
Determined to escape the mean streets, Silver longs for an education. But after running into an old friend, a homeless youth named Chance whom she’d taken under her wing once upon a time, Silver puts her dreams of college on hold. Chance is grown now–and he’s a powerful drug overlord. But underneath the cool exterior is the same innocent boy Silver once loved.
As they begin an affair, Silver tries to convince Chance to give up the lethal way of life that ruined both their childhoods. But Chance knows that walking away from the game means having to pay a deadly price. Silver won’t take no for an answer–even if it means delving into a seedy underworld and outscheming some of its most vicious drug-dealers and cold-blooded murderers.
“Even in Blue’s world of double-crossing, misogyny, drugs and brutality, an against-all-odds fairy tale can come true.”
–Publishers Weekly
Customer Reviews:
Wow!!!!.......2007-09-24
This bookis of the chain!!! The characters are so real and the storyline was amazing, nothing was left out. All of my questions were answered. I would highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. I really hope that Treasure Blue will bring out another novel really soon because I will truely support all of his books.
Another rewrite would have improved it........2007-09-21
Treasure E. Blue, Harlem Girl Lost (Ballantine, 2004)
It's an oft-bandied-about statistic in writing manuals that 95% of the books published in any given year sell less than five thousand copies total. So, when one reads about a book that, when self-published, sold sixty-five thousand copies-- to spell that out for you, outsold most books published by a factor of thirteen before it landed a book deal-- one expects something special. Or one should, anyway.
When Blue is on his game, this book is something special. It's a fast, ugly, whip-smart morality tale about life in Harlem. It chronicles the lives of Silver Jones, whose mother raised her to be someone who could get out of the decrepit neighborhood and start fresh somewhere else, and Silver's on-again off-again boyfriend Chance, school outcast turned slick, predatory drug dealer. The book (aside from a few flashback chapters that drag) keeps along at a breakneck pace, challenging the reader to catch up, spinning its tale as outlandishly as any of the blaxploitation movies Blue castigates in a passing comment.
That said, Blue is not always on his game, and when he's not, the book grates. His characters are often boilerplate, if not outright stereotypical (remembering that stereotypes apply equally to the good as well as the bad), and his plot harks back to those same movies. That said, this sort of thing can be mighty enjoyable in the right hands. Every time I got myself convinced that Blue's hands are the right ones, he did something else that annoyed me. Time and again it was the book's dialogue. I understand the whole "keeping it real" thing, but there's a point where you've gone beyond keeping it real and entered the territory of keeping it parodic. And, really, how many times do you have to use the word [censored] in a book to keep it real? Not this many, I'm pretty sure.
Not a bad book, but not nearly what it could have been. ** ½
Harlem Girl [Not] Lost..........2007-09-05
In "Harlem Girl Lost," Treasure E. Blue tells the story of Silver, a young girl who could have been lost if not for her mother's love and ability to make her daughter strong, even when she was a weak parent.
"Harlem Girl Lost" is written primarily about Silver's life. However, Silver's mother, Jessica, was a most integral part of the story. Jessica, pregnant and alone at 15, turns to prostitution to support herself and and her daughter, and drugs to numb her pain. In the midst of Jessica's tumultuous lifestyle, she manages to instill undying confidence in her daughter, Silver. Silver's dream of becoming a doctor stays alive because of Jessica's determination for her daughter to succeed.
"Harlem Girl Lost" is a very touching story that teaches the incredibly valuable lessons of loyalty, forgiveness, taking pride in oneself, and boosting self-esteem in your children so "I can't" is never in their vocabulary. I applaud Treasure E. Blue's extraordinary vision in this novel.
Nothing But Love For Silver and Chance, all Hail to Treasure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2007-08-22
What can I say about Mr. Treasure E. Blue, except all praise is to him. This is one of the best book I've read, and I've read alot of books. You just find yourself all wrapped up in this book. I mean it's like you know the characters. Silver was a very strong young lady to have to witnessed the drug use that her mother was exposing her to, and Mr. Birdie I just loved him. In all actuallity this book reminds me of that movie "Holiday Hearts". I highly recommend this book to everybody, I'm reading it again. Congratulations Treasure on a job well done. God Bless!!!!!!!!!!!!!
off da chain fa sho.......2007-07-20
i just got finished reading this book yesturday and,it was so good i could not put it down. treasure really did his thing with this one. silver and chance were made for each other. the book was definately worth the money.
Average customer rating:
- Beautifully illustrated catalog
- Great companion to a wonderful exhibit
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The Quest for Immortality: Treasures of Ancient Egypt
Manufacturer: Prestel Publishing
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Symbol & Magic in Egyptian Art
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Hatshepsut: From Queen to Pharaoh (Metropolitan Museum of Art Series)
ASIN: 3791327356 |
Book Description
Ancient Egyptian antiquities are dominated by art and artifacts depicting the Netherworld, the alternate universe which mummified bodies would enter at the end of their physical lives, where they would live on for eternity. In this dazzling book, photographs and exhaustive texts illustrate the promise of a glorious rebirth pervaded the daily life of Egyptians, from commoners to the most powerful pharaohs.
Customer Reviews:
Beautifully illustrated catalog.......2003-02-16
This exhibition catalog is beautifully illustrated, with many of the photographs extremely clear and all of very high quality. Most inscriptions are readable; larger objects are not just shown whole, but also in detail. It is a pleasure to see some many objects from Tanis included - King Tut has been over-exposed and the Tanis objects are less well-known.
The introductory essays provide useful background information; the catalog item descriptions are useful but of varying depth.
Great companion to a wonderful exhibit.......2002-09-16
The Quest for Immortality now at the National Gallery in Washington, DC is an eye-popping collection of famous items and unseen wonders from Cairo's Egyptian Museum. With the images fresh in your mind of the originals use the catalog articles to expand your knowledge of Queen Ahhotep and her jewels or the beauty of Nakhtmin's wife.
Don't miss my favorites the charming Ptolemaic bronze cat votive and the lapis lazuli Goddess Maat from the Third Intermediate Period.
Average customer rating:
- an enjoyable book
- The wrong place at the right time...
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Treasures of the Heart (Arabesque)
Jacquelin Thomas
Manufacturer: Kimani Press
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Stolen Hearts (Arabesque)
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Defining Moments: A Novel
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With A Song In My Heart (Arabesque)
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Hidden Blessings (Arabesque)
ASIN: 1583143483 |
Customer Reviews:
an enjoyable book.......2006-08-23
This is not the best Jacqueline Thomas book, but it was still great. The characters are enjoyable and you can see the love forming between the couple. I love th fact that though Eric is a pastor, he was betrayed in a way that made you relate to him and just see him as a regular guy, but his love for God was so strong that you just have to love him. Some of the history aspect of the novel, I could have done without. Overall, its worth the time, but it doesnt fill you with emotion like some of the others
The wrong place at the right time..........2004-09-07
For many years, Kemba Jennings has been searching for a diamond that has been in her family for generations, and one that her father was killed for. When the perfect opportunity arrives to restore the diamond to its rightful owner, Kemba jumps at the chance. When a tragic turn of events take place during the heist, Kemba seeks help, and it comes in the form of the handsome, and single, Pastor Eric Avery.
At first, Eric is not quite sure that he believes Kemba's story, but as time progresses, his feelings change. He also finds himself undeniably attracted to her and wants nothing more than to develop a relationship with Kemba. Due to the fact that Eric is a minister, Kemba is a little hesitant about forming a relationship with him. Will Eric be able to convince Kemba that her fears are unfounded, or will she step out on faith and embrace the love of a good man that God saw fit to bless her with?
Full of mystery, murder, intrigue, suspense, and of course romance, TREASURES OF THE HEART was a truly wonderful read. Jacquelin Thomas never fails to deliver! Her stories are beautifully written, complete with characters who quickly become favorites of her loyal fan base. Although this was Thomas' last romance novel, I will still be a loyal follower of her as she forays deeper into the genre of Christian fiction novels.
Reviewed by Renee Williams
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers
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- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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